CHILDREN must not be forgotten when power struggles between parents trigger domestic abuse, experts have warned.

At a high-profile conference in Cardiff organised by the NSPCC, childcare protection professionals explained that domestic abuse affects families from all social backgrounds.

Delegates from around Wales were told of the successful system in Ontario, Canada, which has been mirrored in 10 areas of Wales, but more must be done if those initiatives are to be rolled out across the country.

Three experts from Canada - Dr Linda Baker and Alison Cunningham of the Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System, and Tim Kelly of Changing Ways - explained that the whole family is supported across the Atlantic, as it is not enough to simply remove the woman from an abusive home.

In Canada, once the mother and children are safe, they attend sessions to work through problems - children will be shown they were not at fault. The men attend separate sessions.

Helena Jones, children's services manager for the domestic violence prevention service with the NSPCC in Wales, said that while authorities in Wales are following the same method, much more must still be done.

"Leaving is just the beginning of an awful lot of other problems," said Ms Jones.